Half-Day Milford Track Guided Hiking Tour

I took my three kids (age 14, 11 and 11) on the combo trip with Trips & Tramps. First we walked on the Milford Track and then we did the cruise on the Milford Sound with Real Journeys. Overall it was a good day. It was nice not to drive - be sure to bring motion sickness pills if that is an issue for you! We enjoyed the hike. It was pretty easy and thankfully the rain stopped just in time. The only problem was the sandflies - ugh! They are everywhere in this part of New Zealand. It poured on the boat ride and we could see very little, but oh well. Our only issue was that the guide was fairly boring. There was a lot of information conveyed but not in an interesting way. No jokes or humor!

We had a tree down on the road on our way to Milford sound so did not get to do the hike. There is no cell service between Te Anau and Milford sounds so we couldn’t contact them for two days. When we got back to town I had an email saying they heard about the tree issue and that we would be getting a refund, no questions asked.

Really appreciate it! Thanks!

This was simply a wonderful day out experiencing this amazing part of New Zealand.
It’s a great way to get a taste of the world famous Milford Track, without having to walk for three days, climb mountains or camp.
There’s a short cruise across the Sound and up one tributary to the very end of the track, then a walk for just under 2 hours to the Giant Gate Waterfall for a hot drink, then you turn around and head back.
There are sensational views, especially on the short cruise, and the waterfall is a spectacular end. Along the entre route guides stop to explain the hstory of the track and point out trees, plant and birds.
Each group is around a dozen people, and ours ranged from an elderly woman, to a young couple who had booked this after missing out on getting a spot on the full track. The guide made sure the trip kept pace with everyone, but also got us back to the us in time to ensure those taking the additional cruise were not late.
This was the only guided walk we did in NZ, as it was the only one we could see no way to do without some form of transport but it was well worth it.
As you are walking from the end of the track, you don’t meet any other hikers until close to the turnaround point, and even then, in peak season, we only crossed paths with a few other people the entire walk.
We drove to MIlford Sound from Te Anau and met the guide at the visitor terminal - it was a little chaotic as they rounded up people from various groups amidst crowds arriving and departing on dozens of cruises and tours. Some signage or specific pick up point would have made this easier as this termianl is huge.
(Warning note - this terminal bizarrely has no cafe, just toilets, and 2 vending machines, so, don’t spend any more time here than you have to. If you need food or coffee stop at the main cafe on your way, or bring your own).
Also, if driving yourself be aware new parking rules mean unless you want to spend a fortune, you’ll need to stop at the long stay park, which is about 20 minutes walk or wait for the shuttle which doesn’t start until 8am.
Even the expensive paid parking is still a good 10 minutes walk from the terminal.

Fabulous walk in beautiful scenery. Neil is so knowledgeable and helpful. Wonderful guide.
All that you need is a good pair of boots

Kate was an amazing guide for my half day tour. She knew so much about the flora and was willing to stop and show me the various native plants. I could have gone on the hike but without Kate I would have not known what plants I was seeing.